What Actually Happens When You Get a Heat Pump Fitted
The Honest Truth About Heat Pump Installations
Your house doesn’t need to be a show home. Last week I fitted one in a 1960s semi with knackered windows and barely any loft insulation. Still works fine. The bloke kept saying “my house probably isn’t suitable” – same thing I hear five times a week. Unless your house is falling down, it’ll probably work.
They’re not silent, but they’re not loud either. Sounds like a washing machine on spin cycle for about 20 seconds every hour when it defrosts. Your neighbour’s not going to complain. Your gas boiler probably makes more noise.
Winter performance? They don’t just stop working. Had three days of -8°C last February. Every single unit I’d installed kept going. Yeah, they work a bit harder, but that’s what they’re designed for. The outdoor unit gets a bit icy, melts it off automatically, carries on.
What the Installation Actually Looks Like
Day 1 – Survey I turn up, measure everything, look at your consumer unit, check where the outdoor unit can go. Takes about an hour. I’ll tell you straight if there are any problems – no point pretending otherwise.
Day 2-3 – Installation Two of us, full day, sometimes a bit more. Outdoor unit goes in first – usually takes the longest because we need to get the positioning right. Then we connect everything up to your existing system. Most of the time your radiators stay exactly where they are.
The electrical bit – Nearly always need a new circuit. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Your existing wiring probably won’t cope.
Running Costs (Real Numbers, Not Marketing Fantasy)
Mrs T in Pudsey – old gas bill was £140/month in winter. Heat pump costs her about £85/month. House is exactly the same temperature. She’s proper chuffed.
Bloke in Wetherby with a massive old farmhouse – was spending £250/month on oil heating. Now pays about £160 for electricity. Says it’s the best thing he’s ever done.
The catch? You need to heat your house differently. Forget blasting it for an hour then turning it off. These work best running steady at lower temperatures. Took me ages to get used to explaining this – it’s backwards from what everyone’s used to.
The Paperwork (Government Grants and All That)
Boiler Upgrade Scheme – £7,500 off if you qualify. Application takes about 20 minutes. Not complicated, just tedious. Most people get it.
VAT – Zero percent until 2027. Saves you another grand or so.
The catch? Sometimes takes 6-8 weeks to come through. Plan ahead.
Common Problems (And How We Fix Them)
“The pipes froze” – Usually means the installer didn’t insulate them properly. Basic stuff, but some cowboys skip it. We sort it.
“It’s not heating the house” – Nine times out of ten, it’s the controls. Someone’s set it up like a gas boiler instead of letting it do its thing.
“The electricity bills are massive” – Usually means it’s been sized wrong or the heating curve needs adjusting. Not rocket science, but you need to know what you’re doing.
What We Actually Recommend (Not What the Brochure Says)
Get a buffer tank if your house is small. Stops the system cycling on and off constantly. Costs extra but worth it.
Spend money on decent controls. The basic ones are rubbish. Weather compensation makes a massive difference to running costs.
Get the electrical supply done properly. Seen too many installations where they’ve bodged this bit. Causes problems later.
The Bit Nobody Talks About
Maintenance – Once a year, someone needs to check the refrigerant pressures and clean the filters. Takes about an hour, costs £150-200. Skip it and you’ll have problems.
Lifespan – Should last 15-20 years if you look after it. Your gas boiler probably won’t.
Reliability – Less to go wrong than a gas boiler. No flue, no gas valve, no pilot light. Just a compressor and some pumps.
Real Talk About Efficiency
Coefficient of Performance (COP) – Fancy way of saying how much heat you get for each unit of electricity. Good installation should give you 3-4. Means you get 3-4 times more heat than if you just used electric radiators.
Seasonal Performance Factor (SPF) – What it actually achieves over a whole year. Should be around 3.0-3.5 for a decent system.
The numbers that matter – Your electricity bill compared to what you used to pay for gas. Everything else is just technical waffle.
When NOT to Get One
You’re moving house next year – Don’t bother. Takes a couple of years to pay back the initial cost.
Your heating system is completely knackered – Might need new radiators, pipework, the lot. Gets expensive quickly.
You’ve got a really old electrical supply – Some houses need major electrical upgrades. Adds thousands to the cost.
The Installation Process (No Fluff)
Week before – I’ll measure your heat loss properly. None of this guessing based on floor area. Takes most of a day but gets the sizing right.
Installation week – Book two days off work. First day is mostly outdoor unit and electrical connections. Second day is commissioning and testing everything works.
Week after – I’ll come back and check everything’s running properly. Make any tweaks needed.
What It Actually Costs
Equipment and installation – £8,000-12,000 for most houses. More if you need electrical upgrades or new radiators.
Government grant – Knocks £7,500 off straight away.
Running costs – About 60-70% of what you’re paying for gas heating now. Maybe more if electricity prices go mental, but gas isn’t getting cheaper either.
Bottom Line
They work. They save money. They’re more reliable than gas boilers. Installation takes a couple of days if done properly.
The technology isn’t new – it’s the same stuff that’s been in fridges for decades, just bigger and running backwards.
If you’re thinking about it, get a proper survey done. Don’t just guess from online calculators. Every house is different.
Any questions, give us a shout. No pressure, just straight answers.